crystalspin

Ah yes I forgot the storied bread pudding. My husband and my mom both liked it a lot!

This has always been true (since 2009 at least, and on all HAL ships I've sailed). I call them "air cakes" and don't even bother trying. Cookies and ice cream are good, though!

You may have to settle for the Signature Beverage Package purchased from the first bartender you see and buy your specialty dinner and/or shore excursion by themselves. The internet will likely not be very good on the ship as you'll be far from the equatorial communication satellites orbits, haven't heard that the V got StarLink anyway. Let us know what you find out!

Our seven day Mexican Riviera was easy to guess (asterisk are dressy): Embark Sea Day* Cabo Mazatlan Puerto Vallarta Sea Day* Sea Day Disembark If there are indeed two formerly Gala nights on your cruise, I would have to guess George Town. At least in the "old days", the final night was never Gala because people would have already packed their tuxes and formal gowns! I'd be interested to learn that your second At Sea day was dressy; indicating that HAL was observing that most people are not dressing that way anymore? Agree on the menu!

Toni, I have not roomed nor been in a Zaandam/Volendam deck 1 cabin, but have read that at least some people like looking out so close to the water! There are also six "sideways" J-category interiors that are larger than others, and that's with insides on the R-class ships already being larger than the newer ships. Lower decks and central location are better for potential seasickness as well! Six G-category cabins per side, at the front of the ship, have two portholes instead of one big window.

Wearing your card AND your phone both on neck lanyards may de-magnetize your key card! I swore it couldn't be true, until I put my card in a pant's pocket and what do you know, I didn't have to make any more trips to the front desk! I used to wear one or the other on neck-straps (using a water-resistant clear pocket for my phone, keeping it handy for use as camera). Currently, most of my leggings have pockets on both sides -- one for card-key and one for the phone!

I believe posting those organizers' names would get your post removed. Google is definitely the OP's friend. Google the name of this thread, for a start!

Which thread? I didn't read anything about pianos on the Hide-and-go-Seek thread...

Love the OVs on Lower Promenade -- just avoid being under the "white areas" on deck 4, aft of the midship elevators and forward of the farthest aft elevators.

I never meant to disparage you! I like my PCC but can't think of her sending me such an alert. Thanks for passing it on, now to wait and see if applies to my situation!

Is there a limit to how many FCD you can buy at once? We bought 6 in January, but immediately used them to book a 24-day cruise for July 2024!

The rumor is one-day promo on 11 July. It will not apply to all cruises, but wait and see if yours is included!

Ah, I see! I had not had the idea in May for the $25 promo. Probably they treat the long cruises like Grand Voyages even though no "grand" in the name.

This^^^. Also, I have a very NON-discerning sense of taste. My husband used to tease me by getting frozen yogurt from a machine that was out of sight (at the all-you-can-eat soup-and-salad place), and ask me what was the flavor? I sometimes could tell if it was fruit or not-fruit... So I will continue to try to taste what the sommelier tells me is there!

I am watching daily! My hope is that it applies to Hawaii/Tahiti in 2025. I will book as a back up to 2024. We have a number of high-risk people in our family "pod" and are seniors ourselves, so a cancellation is not unthinkable. As far as a gimmick, that is for them to choose. HAL is "holding" $3500 of my money as it is. Hoping not to make it $7000 when only one of the two cruises is likely to happen. Unless 2024 is a go AND we like it so well that we repeat (as several on the Roll Call are doing)! If we decide against it, we will not leave it on "lay-away" until final payment, but will release it as soon as we know.

My husband have travelled (land-based and cruises) all over the world with carry-on only. The longest cruise was a 26-day transAtlantic + Mediterranean with carry-on -- I did all the laundry in the sink! Because I had heard that the ship would wash AND dry on hot only and ruin your clothes! Subsequently I have learned that, at least on Holland American, this isn't true! You can mark items OR the whole bag as warm or cool wash/dry. HAL will even air dry items! What cruise line will you be sailing? It does make a difference how formal the dressy nights will be...

Much of the trip it is true that either land on both sides or sea on both sides. The places where it might make a difference can depend on the forecast route and I can't see that for 2025. If the route is the same as 2023 & 2024, I would say Port, as the part returning around the Kenai peninsula to Glacier NP port will be toward land. Our route from Seattle in 2018, it would have been Starboard, as we hugged the shore on the way north instead.

My experience and "calculating" was that they had to be giving 15x$11x2persons, so no additional spending even necessary. This was back with the SBP and continued to be true when HIA became a thing. But strangely on our B2B last winter, we got 9+9 for the first leg, but only 7+5 on the second. Fortunately that made us 4* by two points anyway. If we'd been two points UNDER, I'd have made a fuss! Probably just an accounting glitch.

I always find (or buy) a marker or highlighter and outline the B&W stripe (or strip) in the correct color. Any little visual cue is a good one.

There are usually more than one thing I want to try -- but occasionally nights in the MDR that nothing appeals and I fall back on the "always available" salmon or steak. We did a 9 plus a 7 day B2B last winter. Although we ate only in the Lido or every third day or so in a specialty restaurant (which have the same menu EVERY night), we noticed the repetition only in the specialties.

What ship and/or itinerary? I would look for similar Roll Call for the date in 2023 and ask the members when there Final Payment was due.

Be sure to make your reservation WITH the DGD in the cabin. Much easier to drop her or just have her be a no-show, than to add a person later. The lifeboat station count could fill up! Can't contribute on the cabin choice. We sailed in one of the "Inside with a window" on the Observation Deck, on the Zuiderdam. It wasn't bad, but probably would not be our choice post-pandemic.

I would call again -- do you have a TA or PCC? Early fills up and may already be full (hence your not showing it).

Roger, our @Crew News, has refreshed my memory as to the breakdown of where the Crew Appreciation goes. As of six years ago, the percentage allotment was: 30% Room Steward(s) 30% Waiters 40% Those who work behind the scenes supporting the passengers (laundry, cooks, cleaning crews, etc.) Non-passenger support crew (lifeboat drivers, engine folks, etc.). The amounts have changed once or twice, but I would guess that the proportions are the same. So in an inside, OV, or verandah, your steward(s) get $5.33 pp, pd. In a suite, $5.83pp. If there are two pax and two stewards, that is the amount per steward. In my example above, $20 per steward per week amounts to an additional $2.85pd each, about half-again. As far as waiters, they do know where you ate, at least dinner. As far as the behind the scenes crew, I am happy to learn the lifeboat drivers and engine crew do get a cut! As well as laundry, et al. Remember if you never send out laundry of your own, they are still washing your sheets and towels!

I just bought this set of TEN in FIVE colors. I will appraise the mesh quality and the colors, and if all is fine, I will buy another set to parcel out to my northwoods family (home of punkies aka no-see'ems, blackflies, & mosquitos). The first ten being for the seven of us here in Utah (home of gnats & skeeters) and a few for guests. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BY2MHBV9/ ETA: we have cruises booked to Hawaii/Polynesia and to Iceland/Greenland as well!